Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2019 21:41:16 -0500
From: Eric Trager
Subject: It Is What It Is - Chapter 63
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
"Yeah, Brown Eyes, it's tough to think how far we've come. I mean, remember
how this all started?"
"Yup. You came over that night pretty shook up because your dad said he
might take the job here down the plant. He'd just told you... I'll never
forget that..."
"Yeah, and then it must have been that asshole Berrifield made that tape of
us kissing in your garage. I'll never forget that kiss... Not as long as I
live..."
"And you punched Braden out."
"Well, hit him in the nuts actually. Wanna know something? I was really
scared because he was coming at me like a maniac. Shit, the guy's twice my
size and all I could think to do was just punch him in the balls. Worked
like a charm, though..."
"Yeah, until Berrifield flipped out and hired those guys to beat me up."
Sean's lower lip trembled. "I've always thought maybe that was my
fault. Maybe I shouldn't have decked Brade, huh..."
"Don't you ever say that!" Andy flared. "How were you supposed to know in
that moment? How? Look, Berrifield would have hired those guys
anyway. Maybe if I hadn't come with you it just would have happened some
other time. Don't you ever think it was your fault!"
"OK, I won't then, but still..."
"But still! Anyway, remember the first person we met here?"
"Dix."
"I'll never forget that. When he came out to us."
"Me either. And then you magically found Brett. How that happened I'll
never know..."
"Me either. Kismet?"
"Kismet."
"And then there was the whole first football season here. That was
unreal..."
"None of us will ever forget it. I never will anyway."
"And remember when we found the Bambino?"
"Never forget that one, either. Crumpled up like a sack of potatoes. Passed
out cold." Again, Sean's lower lip trembled.
"You love our little bro, don'tcha, Sean-o..."
"Yeah. I guess we all do. He was so pathetic that day but all he was ever
about was the second chance. That was all he ever asked for. He still
carries that chip on his shoulder... I think he'll always have it."
"Prolly... Thank God for Kathleen, though. I think she saved him."
"Yep. And her sister almost ruined me..."
"She did a number on you that's for sure, but hey, we got the twins out of
it. Sean-o, I never loved anything like I love those two little boys. I
love watching them grow..."
"Me, too, and we're gonna have another one any time now, too."
"You ready?"
"I'm ready, Sean-o. I think we were meant to be parents."
"Speaking of parents, remember the first time we met Mrs. Dix?"
"Oh ya, don'tcha know..." Andy laughed, imitating Peggy's classic Milwaukee
accent.
"We need to keep her close now that Ginny's giving way."
"Jesus! Remember the first time we met Ginny?"
"Who could ever forget that," Sean laughed. "I didn't know what to
think..."
"You think she picked us maybe like even before we got here or something?"
"You know, I've thought about that a time, or two. I'm kinda thinkin' maybe
she did. Remember the time we heard her say she saw great things for us?"
"You took the words right out of my mouth..."
"You think it's all been worth it?"
"Oh hell yes!" Andy declared. "I mean, Sean-o, just look at what we got
now! And the topper to it all is the twins. Well, the twins and our new
little one whenever it gets here..."
"I hope it's soon. I know how you've been waiting..."
"Well, I really have. And we'll be giving this kid a life they'd never
dream of if they didn't know. And I want to be a good dad. Like you
are..."
"You really think I'm a good dad?"
"Hun, the twins adore you. Oh, they come and hug my legs but it's you their
eyes shine on."
"Well, I try... Even though Mrs. Cheadle doesn't always think so..."
"Yeah, well, she can be stroppy for sure, butcha know she only has their
best interests at heart. We're lucky to have her, and so are the boys. I
can't imagine life without old Queen Victoria around..."
"Me, neither? Hey, you think she'll ever get married?"
"Nope. Not unless your dad asks her."
"WHAT?!"
"A couple times I think they've slipped out at different times and then met
up trying to hide it from us."
"Never noticed that..."
"I could be wrong, butcha never know!"
"I guess stranger things have happened..."
"I'm not claiming that's what's going on, just that I noticed weird timing
a time or two..."
"Maybe I should be more observant then!" Sean smirked.
"So, whadya wanna do with those Portland guys?"
"You mean like do I think we should invite them over for a night in the
sling?"
"I might mean that. And Dix and Brett... I've always enjoyed doing it with
them..."
"Same," Sean smirked. "We couldn't have better friends."
"They're really partners," Andy said.
"So I guess they are... I miss those guys..."
TWO DAYS LATER
Andy rushed down for breakfast that morning waving his cell phone in his
hand.
"What the hell!" Sean said. "Didja just hit the lottery?"
"No! Look!" Andy said, waving the phone in Sean's face.
Sean grabbed the phone and read the text. His eyes went wide. "What do we
do?" he asked, honestly not knowing.
"Um, I dunno either..." Sean answered. "I guess at some point we hafta to
get to Milwaukee but I'm not sure when. Why don't you call George? I mean,
he's handling the matter..."
"OK, I guess you're right." Andy then called George Dickson's office line.
"Hey, George! It's Andy. Listen, I just got a text from the hospital in
Milwaukee and they said the baby's about to be born. I have no idea what to
do now..."
"Well," George answered, "assuming the baby is born alive and there are no
complications, the hospital will want to discharge the little tyke probably
at some point tomorrow. I can tell you that the adoption went through in
advance subject only to a live birth. Let me get it squared away and I'll
call you back..."
"Sounds good, George..."
"One more thing. We're gonna need a name. For the birth certificate. If
it's a boy, or if it's a girl. Do you have names yet?"
"Yup. If it's a boy, the name's gonna be Timothy James Churchill Wyman, no
hyphen on the last names and if it's a girl it's gonna be Valerie Katherine
Churchill Wyman also no hyphens."
"Got it. OK, well, lemme make a call or two and I'll be right back to you."
"OK, George! Thanks! Bye!"
"OK, Sean-o," Andy began to tell Sean, "George is gonna make a few calls
and he'll let us know what we have to do. That's all there is right now..."
"It's better than nothing I guess... You psyched?"
"Like a hundred percent! Sean-o, the twins are gonna have a little brother,
or sister! How do you think they'll take it?"
"Good question..."
"I mean, do you think they'll be pissed? Maybe jealous? Curious?"
"If I hadda bet, I'd say curious. I've never seen either one of them be
mean, I mean like to each other, or to Mrs. Cheadle, or you or me
anyway..."
"Yeah, prolly... Well, I guess I'll just sit tight and wait for George to
call back."
"Listen, I gotta run down the Monterey and check on a few things. You wanna
come with, or are you OK here?"
"I'll stay here. That's fine. George is gonna call me back anyway. Just
don't be too long..."
"I won't. I just gotta meet Brad to see how material deliveries are coming
along, that's all..."
"You think he'll be OK for that?"
"Yeah, I mean the dude doesn't give a shit. Some delivery guy shows up and
what he's got doesn't match the bill of lading and Brad will just stand
there and tell him he's refusing delivery. He's the perfect person for
that..."
"And he's gonna finish his Accountant shit at Blackhawk in time to assist
Kevin?"
"He will. I keep track of that with Blackhawk, of course he doesn't know
that I do, but so far he's got like an A- average and the instructors told
me that he's `diligent.'"
"Yeah, Brad's diligent alright..."
"Anyway, I'm gonna fly. I won't be gone long. Hopefully George won't take
long with his answer..."
"Don't be long!" Andy called after Sean.
At the Monterey, Sean found Brad at his station in a hut that had been
erected at the point delivery trucks pulled on to the property.
"Everything going OK, Brad?" Sean asked.
"Yup. `Cept fer one thing..." Brad replied as phlegmatically as ever.
"What's that?"
"Woll, there's this truck try to pull in here earlier `n' he short a lot of
shit. It drywall. He short. So I tol' him his invoice wrong..."
"It's called a bill of lading, Brad."
"That what I said. Anyway, I tol' `im I ain't gonna let `im in till he come
back `n' his load match `is sheet. Guy pissed off. Don't give a fuck. That
bullshit."
"You got a copy of anything?" Sean asked.
"Nope. Didn't let `im in. Didn't take 'is paperwork."
"You remember what company the guy was from?"
"Some trucking company," Brad said. "Don't matter none, though. Here the
order book. It say right here," Brad pointed to the company name in the
ledger of contractors.
"Thanks, Brad. I'll contact the General Contractor and we'll get it
straightened out. Anything else?"
"Nope."
"OK, then I guess that's it for now. Guess what?"
"Wut..."
"You're gonna be an Uncle again."
"What you mean again? Already am..."
"Andy's son or daughter is about to be born and we'll be adopting when that
happens, or at least I think when that happens and once it does happen
you'll be a new Uncle!"
"That nice. When c'n I come `n' see?"
"As soon as possible, Brad."
"Sergeant Cheadle gimme shit?"
"That's like asking if the sun rises in the east."
"Yer right. She OK. Them boys sure like her."
"They adore her, Brad. You ever want to have kids."
"Nope. Ain't got the time `n' sure as fuck ain't got th' money. You `n'
Andy let me be your kids' Uncle `n' that fine. Them boys make me happy `n'
I c'n give `em back when I done. That all I need."
Sean looked at Brad and shook his head. He thought Brad was for everything
else a remarkable person, so uncomplicated and self-reliant. Sean admired
Brad as much as he admired anyone else he had ever known.
"Alright then, Brad. I gotta fly. I'll let you know when your new niece or
nephew is here."
"Yup."
Back at the Alamo, Andy greeted Sean with some news.
"Hey! George called back. He says everything is in order and the baby
should be ready to go a day after birth as long as there's no problems."
"So, um, like tomorrow..."
"Yeah!"
"Well, let's get dad and Mrs. Cheadle and let `em know this is it..."
"OK, this will be fine. They've known about it all along..."
Once in the Library, Andy started out. "Dad, Mrs. Cheadle, um, tomorrow
probably we'll be bringing the new baby home. That's really all we
know... What do you think?"
Joe scratched his chin. He looked about thoughtfully for a moment. "Andrew,
I can't say that I think three kids at your age is good or bad. On the bad
you two are still very young. On the good, you'll still be young when they
reach your age, and there's something to be said for that. I'm not sure if
I should shake my head or commend you. But the die is cast, and we have to
move forward."
"Sir," Mrs. Cheadle said directed to Andy, "I am ready for the new one. The
twins are well along now and I've told them in ways they understand about
new babies. I've done this before, Sir. Not to worry. They're in good
hands."
"I remember you told us that before the twins came," Andy said. " That
they're in good hands. You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I'm a little
nervous."
"I know," Sean said. "I was, too. You know what Mrs. Dix says. `Everything
will be OK. You'll see!'"
"Don'tcha know!" Andy laughed. "I want you to fuck me tonight," he
whispered in Sean's ear.
Sean giggled. Mrs. Cheadle rolled her eyes.
Andy then said he had some studying he better get ahead on because once the
baby came he might not have the time.
Sean said that was fine. He had an appointment with Ginny anyway. "I'll
make us all something special for dinner tonight. It'll be a surprise!"
Sean smirked.
"Get outta here! Surprise my ass! It'll be Shit on a Shingle..." Andy
answered. "Don't forget about later, either..."
This time, Joe rolled his eyes.
Sean arrived at Ginny's front door where she buzzed him in even before he
could ring the bell.
"In the office, sweetie!" Ginny called out.
"Hey, Ginny!" Sean greeted her as he entered the office.
"Have a seat, Sean," Ginny said. "How you doing anyway..."
"Fine, I guess," Sean answered somewhat warily. He'd really never been
asked a question like that by Ginny before. Casual. Unspecific.
"Well, that's good. I see the football team is doing well this year. Any
regrets about not being the Head Coach since Slater retired?"
"No and hell no." Sean answered. "I've got more than enough on my plate
otherwise. Besides, yeah, I did it last year for half the season but those
were extraordinary circumstances. To take the job permanently right now
wouldn't be good. I'm too close in age to the players. I'm not a
teacher. I've got the City Council, the Monterrey, this maybe business deal
with the Portland people... And I've been looking at some ways to
reorganize and streamline the business holdings here for the future, we're
about to have a new kid, yadda, yadda, yadda... I don't see how I'd have
had the time to be the Head Coach and do a good job. Besides, Coach Schmidt
is a good coach. I see a lot more of Coach Slater in him all the
time. We're undefeated and between you and me I can smell another state
championship this year. Kris Krieger is as good as Tim or I were at
quarterback the year we won State. He played in a championship game as a
Sophomore when I was hurt, so he's experienced. He doesn't fold. And he's
got a good head for the game, too. So anyway, no... No regrets about not
being Head Coach."
"That's a smart answer, Sean. And how is that cute little cowboy, Andy's
cousin? How's he adjusting? He reminds me so much of our Andy..."
"Oh, he was only here for a month. He's in school up in Madison, but he got
a place with Eric Trager off campus. Tim and Brett were gonna let them have
a room in their house, but it's not that big of a place so they thought
they'd find a place on their own. I think it's on West Mifflin Street."
"Mifflin Street!" Ginny exclaimed.* "I wouldn't have thought it!"
"Well, it's pretty close to the engineering school and stuff, so..." Sean
said.
"And they're an item?"
"Looks like it. And I think that's good. Eric had to get over the torch he
still carried for Tim. He always said he had, but I never thought so... And
then Billy Dean came along. At first I thought he was maybe a hick and some
guy who would be here for a little while and we'd never see him again but I
don't think so. He grew up with a lot of hurt. And then just when he was
gonna finish up school and had one year to go he got the carpet pulled out
from under him. He needs someone to help him come back from that and I
think Eric is good for him. If you asked me a year ago I'da toldja that I
never thought Eric Trager would be good for anyone, but I woulda been
wrong. I think it's been good for both of them."
"And you say neither one of the Tragers wants to be part of the
organization?"
"That's funny. No, they don't. Now, both of them told me and And and the
Bambino that we will always have their loyalty. We believe them. They know
we helped them and their mom. Hell, I about GAVE that Columbus Circle
house to her at cost so she could move out of that shithole place by the
dump! Even though she's got money now! I'm not worried about them..."
"Whadya think they're gonna end up doing?"
"If I hadda bet money on it Billie Dean comes back here as an
Architect. Eric, now don't laugh, but he's getting a business degree. I'd
bet he ends up teaching Business at Craig or Parker. Something like
that. He had it tougher than Billy Dean and I think in life stability is
important to him. He's in love with Billy Dean and if he can get a halfway
secure and decent job with good benefits and retirement, he'd be happy. The
question is Tory..."
"Yes, Victor..."
"Well, before when we didn't know they didn't want to be part, I said
something to him about how would he like London..."
"And..."
"Well, he said that was always his dream and we could get him a foot in the
door, don't you think? I mean he could live at the Chelsea place until he
got his feet on the ground... Maybe when he graduates from Craig he could
get into a school over there. He'd owe me twice then."
"Doesn't matter if he owes ya once, or a hundred times. What matters is
that he owes ya. The question is can you trust him? Those two things go
hand in hand, Sean. It works this way: say a guy owes you but he's not
trustworthy. So what's that worth? It's not worth shit..."
"Ginny, I've known that since, well, since I guess I can remember. Plus,
look, we all know the Bambino and Kathleen are gonna get married. And the
way they screw, they're gonna have a shit ton of kids. They've both said
that's what they want. Now, I think it's OK if down the line Tory and
J.R. had a Brokeback Mountain kind of relationship, but maybe it'd be best
if he was somewhere like London for the next little while. He'll
adjust. Like I said, we'll get him into school over there at some point if
that's what he wants otherwise we'll figure out something else for him to
do."
"That's probably wise. Outta sight, outta mind."
"Now, what I wanna talk about is how I propose to reorganize the business
dealings. But I don't think now, Ginny. Me and And gotta get ready to go to
Milwaukee tomorrow. If not tomorrow then the next day anyway, but we're
picking up the new little one and I gotta be there for him. He was there
for me, so..."
"Of course you do. And you tell Andy to let me know when you're back with
the little tyke. You see Sean, Joey and Lennie are my blood great-grandsons
and I know this one won't be my blood great-grandchild but for as long as
I'm still around, that kid's gonna have a great-grandma. I wouldn't have it
any other way. Go on ahead now and we can take the rest of this all up
later on."
"Thanks, Ginny. I'll tell Andy what you said."
When Sean got home, Andy greeted him right away.
"Sean-o, we have a son. George just called me. We have a son! And he's
called Timothy James just like we planned. George said he weighed 8 pounds,
1 ounce when he was born and he's healthy. He said the mother had an easy
birth. They said we can go pick the baby up tomorrow afternoon, or the day
after. I said we're going tomorrow! And Mrs. Cheadle already knows. She's
gonna come with us. I called down Enterprise Rent-A-Car and rented a
Chrysler mini-van. That way there's room enough for everything and
Mrs. Cheadle can easily mind the baby. I figured the other cars are too
small, and the Cadillac wouldn't be practical. That's fine. We can go pick
the van up now. I rented it for three days just in case. Little T.J.! I am
so psyched, Sean-o! God! Just think!"
"Me, too, Brown Eyes! We'll love that little boy like he was our own. And
he'll grow up the luckiest kid on the planet. Wanna know what, though?"
"What..."
"I think we need to go tell the twins they're getting a little brother."
"They're not gonna understand, besides didn't Mrs. Cheadle say she already
did that?" Andy laughed.
"Not sure that matters," Sean said. "What matters is that one day when they
say how surprised they were we can tell them that we told them
beforehand. They need to hear it from us."
"How do you think they'll take to a new little brother?"
"Not sure to be honest with you. I mean, you can tell because their
identical twins they've got that `twin thing' and it's almost like they
have this secret way to communicate with each other however kids that age
can actually communicate, but do I think they'll be jealous? Will they
ignore T.J.? Will they be mean to him? Will they take to him right off? I
dunno... We'll just have to wait and see. Doesn't help that both you and me
never had any brothers or sisters now, does it..."
"No, no I guess it doesn't. I guess we'll just have to take a lead from
Mrs. Cheadle. She's the one who knows..."
"Oh, believe me, she'll tell us, too..."
"I'm sure. Anyway, let's go get the van and get it packed up. I wanna be
there first thing tomorrow."
"You know which hospital?"
"Saint Joe's" Andy replied.
"Well, that's certainly good," Sean replied.**
"OK, well let's go get the van..."
An hour later, Sean and Andy returned with the van, packed it with some
things and then went to see Mrs. Cheadle to make sure they'd have what she
needed.
"Blimy! Of bloody course I've got everything ready!" Mrs. Cheadle
said. "It's all packed in marked boxes in the nursery. There are three
boxes. And you'd best go see your sons now and tell them they're getting a
brother. Well, don't just stand there! Get on with it!"
Sean laughed. "Mrs. Cheadle, we were just gonna go tell Joey and Lennie. We
just don't know how they're gonna react once the new one is actually
here..."
"I can assure you, Sir, that Joseph and Leonard will be just fine. In case
you hadn't noticed, they're two very loving little boys. They adore both of
you. I'm sure you've seen that, Sir."
"We're going to tell them right now..." Sean said.
In the nursery, Joey and Lennie ran to hug Sean and Andy's legs.
"And how are our little men doing this today?" Andy smiled.
Both little boys grinned wide, showing a couple of new teeth each. In turn,
they both eyed Sean and Andy successively. They stood stock still, eyes
wide.
"They already know what we're gonna say," Andy whispered to Sean.
"Kinda looks that way, dunnit..." Sean giggled.
Andy nodded at Sean. Sean picked Lennie up while Andy scooped up Joey.
They sat down with their twin sons on the loveseat in the nursery. Sean
nodded at Andy.
"Boys," Andy began, me and dad have something to tell you. We don't know if
you're going to understand or not. That's OK. You're good boys. Want a
brother?"
Both little boys looked at Andy with eyes full of expectation.
"Well, Andy continued, Gan-gan Rose is coming over tomorrow and when we get
back you're going to have a little brother. His name is T.J.. Are you gonna
like having T.J. here?"
Joey and Lennie eyed each other, then they eyed Sean and then Andy. They
looked perplexed. Lennie put his index and middle finger into the palm of
Joey's hand. He moved his little fingers to and fro while both little boys
continued eyeing each other. Sean and Andy thought they might have seen
their lips move slightly as well. They'd never seen the twins do this
before.
It appeared almost to be some form of non-verbal communication.
Presently, Joey and Lennie looked up at their dads, smiled two little-boy
smiles, exclaimed simultaneously, "Teeeee!" and clapped their hands.
"Well, I guess that's that then, hun," Sean said, shrugging.
"Yup, I'd say so..." Andy agreed.
"Who wants to play Legos!" Sean asked.
"Meeeeeee!" both little boys yelled jumping up and down.
Andy fished out the bucket of Legos from the toy chest and put them on the
floor. The twins scattered the pieces about, picked out some and began
putting them together. First Lennie would add a piece, then Joey. One by
one, but they did it so fast it was uncanny. Almost as if they were
thinking together about it. Sean and Andy were amazed.
Every once in a while, the boys would stop and one of them would hand their
creation to Andy or Sean for approval. Their dads pointed out all the new
pieces that had been added and how nice they looked and remarked about
everything they could be used for.
For their part, the twins laughed and kept adding more pieces to the puzzle
until they'd made something unwieldy enough so that parts of it began
falling off. Each part that fell off delighted the two little boys who
would point and laugh until Sean and Andy were laughing right along with
them.
It seemed like Joey and Lennie were tiring of the Legos by then when they
put them down and one each grabbed Sean and Andy's hands demanding that
they accompany them to their trainer potties.
Both little men were proud now that they regularly used their training
potties, not being quite big enough to hop up on a normal toilet. And every
time they went whether it was Mrs. Cheadle, their dads, their Grandpa Joe,
or John, someone had to come and see their little turds and approve of the
job they'd done.
So, both toddlers took down their pants, and underwear since they'd already
indicated to Mrs. Cheadle in no uncertain terms that they were done with
diapers, diaper pins and all the rest. They sat on their potties and went.
They had their own names for what their business was. When they urinated,
they called it "beebum." When they defecated, if it was hard then it was
"hard boo." If it was soft then it was "squish." Since they pronounced
those words well enough, Sean and Andy were content to play along as it was
an indicator that they seemed to be gaining vocabulary. At the end, Sean
and Andy took one boy each and made sure they'd wiped their bottoms well
and made them show the toilet paper to prove their results. Which, of
course the two little ones were almost two happy to do with big smiles,
pointing into the bowls at the product of their efforts.
Patted on their butts with an "Attaboy" for both of them, the little boys
squealed with delight, running on their way to play some more and leaving
their dads to tend to the immediate mess.
Andy and Sean cleaned up, laughing. Sean looked at Andy with a nauseous
look on his face. "How can their shit stink so much? Jesus! What if we fed
them Taco Bell?"
"Don't even wanna think about it..." Andy answered with one hand over his
nose and mouth.
"Welp, should we get Mrs. Cheadle's boxes down to the van?" Sean asked.
"You betcha!" Andy smiled. "Jesus, I can't wait until tomorrow!"
Next morning the whole house was up early. Sean made a light but tasty
breakfast of scrambled egg filled crêpes topped with a light Hollandaise
sauce and a side of hash browns made in Sean's favorite way from dehydrated
hash brown shreds rehydrated in the carton, sprinkled with salt, pepper and
onion powder, then cooked to a crispy golden brown on the built-in flat top
grill. For drinks, Sean served a donut-shop blend of fresh ground coffee
and tumblers of cranberry juice.
It hit the spot, but no one was overfilled which was a good thing.
"Well, I guess we better get going here," Sean said, drumming his fingers
on the table a little bit pensively.
"Right behind you!" Andy said fairly leaping.
True to form, Mrs. Cheadle was already in the van.
Once at St. Joe's in Milwaukee, Andy, Sean and Mrs. Cheadle found the
neonatal unit straight away. At the Nurse's desk, Andy announced who he
was.
"OK, sir. We don't handle the final adoption at this desk but have a seat
in the waiting area and someone will be right with you."
"Can we see him?" Andy asked.
"I'm sorry, not just yet. You have to finalize all the paperwork. It'll be
just a little while. Don't worry..."
Presently, a middle-aged woman with a fat manila folder walked up as they
sat in the waiting area.
"Mr. Churchill and Mr. Wyman?" she asked.
"That's us!" Andy said.
"I'm Carolyn Mazowiecki," she said pronouncing her name in the authentic
Polish way. (Mahts- o-vyets-kee) "Follow me if you will..."
"Can we bring Mrs. Cheadle?" Andy asked. "She's our nanny, I mean the nanny
for our sons. She's like one of the family..."
"Really, Sir!" Mrs. Cheadle gently admonished Andy, blushing a little.
"Certainly," Ms. Mazowiecki smiled. "Right this way then."
Down the hall they went into a non-descript small office.
"Have a seat everyone!" they were told in a friendly way. "As I said, I'm
Carolyn Mazowiecki. I do the adoptions here at the hospital and I am an
employee of Milwaukee County. That's only important to know so that you're
aware that once we're done here the paperwork will be in order to be
recorded at the Court House. I do that electronically. Now then, any
questions before we begin?"
"Just when can we see our son..." Andy said.
"Yes, we can go once these papers are signed which won't take long. There
are only a couple of forms."
"I guess we should get started then?" Sean asked.
"Certainly, now the first form here is..." Ms. Mazowiecki efficiently
finished the paperwork, supplied Sean and Andy with a copy of everything
and an original birth certificate.
"Would you like to go see your son now? I understand you'll be taking him
home today and I bet you're anxious."
"Yes," Andy said. "Yes, we would."
They were led to the neonatal care unit. "There he is, right there!"
Ms. Mazowiecki smiled.
"Oh my God!" Andy gasped. "He's beautiful! Look how much bigger he is than
the twins were!"
"He is, Brown Eyes. He's beautiful... And just look at his hair!"
In front of them in an open crib lay a sleeping baby boy. All eight pounds
and a little more. The baby looked to have a well-formed face with the
tellings of sharp eyebrows and wisps of fine, red hair.
"He's got red hair just like Dix!" Andy exclaimed.
"I was thinking the same thing. I guess it's a good thing we named him
Timothy..."
"He's adorable, Sirs," Mrs. Cheadle said. "And he does have red hair much
like Mister Dickson."
"T.J." Andy whispered with tears in his eyes and a smile.
Sean rubbed Andy's back. Seeing the emotion in his husband's face melted
his heart. It made up a long way for the trauma he'd been through with the
rape resulting in the birth of the twins, some of which still might lay
unresolved despite Sean's as-always cool exterior.
"Shall we?" Andy asked, beaming at Sean.
"Yes. Yes, we shall," Sean replied. "I'll bring the van around and you and
Mrs. Cheadle get T.J. ready to go."
Andy reached out and squeezed Sean's hand.
In the van, Andy insisted that he sit in back and hold little T.J. in his
arms as they pulled out of the hospital. Sean wondered if for no other
reason than safety that T.J. shouldn't be in the infant seat affixed to the
rear seatback.
It didn't matter, Andy held his new son that way all the way back to
Janesville, a bit more than an hour, and little T.J. never moved other than
to swivel his head as much as a newborn can and to make a few noises. He
didn't awake, and he didn't cry.
Sean adjusted the rear-view mirror so he could see his husband and his
newest son. He noticed a tear in the corner of Andy's eye. Sean reached up
with his sleeve and wiped his own eye.
Nothing went unnoticed by Mrs. Cheadle. "Little Timothy seems a quiet baby,
Sir," she observed.
"He is," Andy said. "Remember, though, the twins were the same way when we
brought them back from Stevens Point."
"That they were, Sir," Mrs. Cheadle agreed. "Young Masters Joseph and
Leonard will be well pleased to meet young Master Timothy. You mark my
words, Sirs."
"I hope so!" Andy said.
Sean didn't say much for the rest of the trip, letting Andy and
Mrs. Cheadle do whatever talking was to be done. He wanted as much as
possible that Andy savor this moment of new fatherhood. To Sean it was
precious, and he didn't want anything to take away from that. And Sean
savored his own moment watching his steadfast husband in his new role. He
had no doubt that Andy would be a good father. Again.
As Sean was driving, the van's infotainment screen indicated there was an
incoming text. It was from Brad.
"Meeting set up like u want. That all."
Sean instructed a reply of "Acknowledged."
"What's that all about?" Andy asked.
"Just some meeting I asked Brad to set up for me. No big deal... How's
T.J. doing back there? He's sure been quiet..." Sean didn't wish at that
time to tell Andy what the meeting was about or with whom even though Sean
had it planned for a while now. He was satisfied that his bland response
seemed to work.
"He's asleep. I guess they must've fed him right before we left. Hasn't
cried for food, and I don't smell a shitty diaper, so..."
"Indeed they did, Sir," Mrs. Cheadle said. "I saw to that. No use it would
have been for young Master T.J. to have an unpleasant trip to his new home
now would it... I'll have him in hand at once when we get there, Sir."
"Of course..." Sean smirked.
"It's my bloody job!" Mrs. Cheadle interjected. "...Sir."
Sean looked again into the cockeyed rear-view mirror and know that he would
most likely have to masturbate that night as his husband would be busy. Or
maybe not...
Once off the interstate, Sean guided the van back to the Alamo. Just as he
pulled in the driveway, little T.J. decided it was time to wake up. He
wailed loudly.
Mrs. Cheadle reached into her bag producing a ready-to-go bottle of
formula.
"Give him this, Sir," she said. "It's the right temperature."
"Looks like kind of a small bottle..." Andy replied.
"Blimy! Of course it is! He's a newborn! Did ya think we'd be feeding him
by the gallon? It will be enough, Sir. Just feed him..."
Both Sean and Andy broke up laughing as Mrs. Cheadle smoothed her dress.
"OK, that's enough for now, little dude," Andy said. "It's time to go meet
your brothers. I hope you like them!"
Upon entering the Alamo two little men immediately bounded out of the
living room making a beeline for their dads.
"TEEJAY!" they both yelled in unison, jumping up and down.
"Whoa there, guys..." Sean laughed. "Follow us to the nursery."
"NOOSSWY!" They clapped.
"Jesus Christ," Andy said. "These two are gonna talk out ears off in
another few months..."
"Like they're not doing it now?" Sean laughed.
"Boys!" Mrs. Cheadle admonished them. "You will follow me to the nursery
this instant, and you can see T. J. once you are there. Come on now! Let's
go!"
The two little boys fell in line behind Mrs. Cheadle as if they were
soldiers trooping the colour for the Queen. One might be excused for
thinking that Mrs. Cheadle was a martinet to the two little boys. She
wasn't. And they loved her.
Up the stairs they all went.
Once in the nursery, Mrs. Cheadle placed little T.J. in the double bassinet
Joey and Lenny had used as babies. The twins looked at her with wide
eyes. Mrs. Cheadle nodded.
She then produced a box that Sean and Andy had never seen before. It was a
set of small stairs. She positioned it next to the bassinet and nodded.
Up the little stairs the twins climbed and into the bassinet with T.J.
The twins then did that odd thing where Lenny put his fingers into Joey's
palm, moving his fingers back and forth for a few seconds with Joey looking
fast into his eyes. Apparently satisfied, each twin lay down on one side of
T.J.. One on the left and one on the right.
Curiously, they each put a hand to T.J.'s forehead. T.J. awoke seemingly
with a start but did not fuss. Rather he wiggled just a little bit. Still
each with a hand on T.J.'s forehead, they again joined hands in some form
of communication.
"Sean-o, you think this is weird? I mean..."
Before he could answer, Mrs. Cheadle cut in.
"Sirs, I have long experience in this sort of thing. It's part of the
reason I was chosen for this position. They know what they're doing. Oh,
yes, it's all only mostly instinct at this point, but not to worry."
"Well, what are they doing then?" Sean asked.
"They're on a crude level, which is what is appropriate for a newborn
ascertaining, or attempting to ascertain if T.J. might be capable of taking
on some of their, shall we say, unusual abilities. He might be. He might
not be. And maybe they won't be able to tell. But it is their instinct to
find out, Sir. You see, they understand very well that little T.J. has come
to live with us and with them. You can be sure of that. I've seen this sort
of thing at times before."
"So, this is like Harry Potter, or something?" Sean asked with a half
laugh.
"Not at all, Sir. That was fiction."
"It won't hurt him, will it?" Andy asked.
"Oh heavens no, Sir," Mrs. Cheadle replied.
Just then, the twins withdrew from T.J.'s forehead and held out their arms
indicating they wished to be lifted out of the bassinet.
Once out, they both ran off to their own room without making a sound.
"Well?" Sean said looking at Mrs. Cheadle.
"We don't know just yet, Sir. I can probably figure it out by simple
observation over the next few weeks. Don't trouble yourself. I know what to
look for."
"Um... OK, I guess..." Andy said, a little weirded out. "Sean-o?"
"Well, what just happened just happened so I guess there's nothing we can
do about it. I think it's eerie, but at the same time it's interesting..."
"So, um, what do we do if T.J. might have some ability?" Andy asked.
"Sir, everyone has at least some ability that way. It varies. But it's a
matter of learning how to use it. Some people are born wired to know how to
use it, but most people aren't, and most people never even think to think
of it."
"I suppose..." Andy said as although he was bewildered at what had taken
place he had to admit that Mrs. Cheadle's record was irreproachable, and
that after all she'd been chosen by Ginny who probably had the whole thing
set up. What could he do?
"We'll come back later, Mrs. Cheadle," Sean said. "I expect the little guy
wants some sleep."
"Aye, and then he'll wail for his food, too, Sir! He seems to be a good
one, just like the twins were."
By that time, the twins had returned and for their part wanted to stay
behind with their new little brother.
"Stay!" Joey said, pointing at himself.
"Stay!" Lennie echoed.
"OK, you can stay, guys..." Sean giggled. "Just don't drive Mrs. Cheadle
barmy, OK?"
"It's quite alright, Sir," Mrs. Cheadle said.
"Bawmy!" the twins giggled, jumping up and down.
Andy laughed. "Yeah, bawmy... OK, Blondie, let's go and leave T.J. to
settle in. We'll come back and read to him later."
Even though they knew that some might think it uncaring for them to leave
the newborn almost as soon as they brought him home, they knew it was
best. Mrs. Cheadle was trained and experienced. She had schooling the
equivalent of an American Registered Nurse and against that neither one of
them would have the foggiest idea of what to do with a newborn. After all,
they hadn't done it with the twins, either.
They went to the bar and Sean drew a beer each. Handing Andy his beer he
said, "You know I have that meeting at City Hall at 5:00."
"Is that the one Brad texted you about in the van?"
"Yeah."
"What's it about?"
"It's that fuckin' Hernandez guy. The one that cheated in the election. The
Voces de la Frontera dude. I dunno what he wants. He asked for the
meeting..."
"You think that's a good idea?"
"Whadya mean... Look, the guys a Commie and a fraud. I have no idea what he
thinks he's gonna get out of a meeting with me... I said yes only to take
his temperature."
"Be careful. See, you don't know what he's got, either. I think you should
take protection."
"I am. Anyway, I should be back by 6:30 or so... Go get dad when he gets
home from work. And J.R. They'll wanna see T.J., too..."
"I will. Poor little thing..."
"Poor little thing?"
"Yeah, well, his poor mother really. It must have been hard for her to give
him up..."
"I suppose so. I don't think Colleen would have been bothered. It's a good
thing she died if you think about it..."
"I hate to say it, but I agree."
Sean arrived a few minuted early for the meeting at his office on the
second floor of City Hall. He left the door open.
A few minutes later, Hernandez showed up with a couple other guys.
"Who are these people?" Sean asked. "Never mind. The meeting is between you
and me. They can go."
Hernandez hesitated.
"They can go or there's no meeting." Sean said with a look of gravity on
his face.
Hernandez gave a little wave and the two men disappeared.
"OK, let's get this show on the road, Hernandez. I'm all ears. What is it
you want..."
"I know who you are, Señor Wyman..."
"Of course you know who I am. I'm Sean Wyman. Get to the point."
"I know joo are Geenie Meeler's hombre... I know all about joo..."
"I said get to the point. Whadya want, Hernandez..."
"I want the Ceety to geev Voces de la Frontera a nice big grant. An' I wan'
de Ceety to geev us a beelding for us to juse. An' I wan' de Ceety to stay
out of de Fourth Ward."
"I see. Look, Hernandez, I want to be the Queen of England but that's not
gonna happen either. It would appear to me that this meeting is over."
"I go publeec with my chit, Señor Wyman."
"That's fine. Why would you do that when I already know that your
organization is funded by drug cartels and that you are an illegal alien
who's here against the law and illegally ran for public office? And that's
only what I;m gonna tell you know that I know about you. There's more.
Wanna talk about sex trafficing maybe? You got nuthin' on me. I got
everything on you."
"Joo teenk so, Señor... Joo teenk so... Joo fuck wi' de wrong dudes,
Señor..."
With that, Hernandez got up and left, but not without giving Sean a
menacing look and drawing a finger across his throat.
After Hernandez left, Sean signaled the editor at The Janesville Gazette to
run with a somewhat ambiguous story the next day alluding that there might
be proof of vote fraud in the City elections. A story the Editor had been
holding onto ever since the election. Sean signaled that there might be
more along those lines later on and that he would let him know if and when
that came to pass.
Ten, or fifteen minutes later Sean got up and left his office.
In the basement parking garage of City Hall, he walked over to his car and
as he did a non- descript Chevrolet Express Cargo van drove by. Sean was on
the passenger side of the van as it moved slowly by. The passenger merely
nodded and waved at Sean.
On Sean's way home, he sent another message to the Gazette Editor that he
had nothing more to say on the on the matter he messaged about earlier.
That evening at the Alamo, Sean got a call from Detective Somerville of the
Janesville Police.
END CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
*West Mifflin Street in Madison, Wisconsin is regarded by some as the
Haight Ashbury of the Midwest.
**Saint Joe's refers to Wheaton Franciscan – Saint Joseph Hospital
located on the near northwest side of Milwaukee. For many years it's been
the premier maternity hospital in the area.